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MISS WISTARIA AT HOME 




MISS WISTARIA 



Miss Wistaria at Home 

A Tale of Modern Japan 



BY 



MARGARET LANCASTER STRING 



BOARD OF FOREIGN MISSIONS 

REFORMED CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES 

FIFTEENTH AND RACE STREETS 
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA 






^ £\ 



Copyright. 1918 

BY 

The Board of Foreign Missions 
Reformed Church in the United States 



APR -4 1918 



PRESS OF BERGER BROS. 
PHILADELPHIA 



©CI.A492804 



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INTRODUCTION 

MISS WISTARIA AT HOME 

In this little book the author has made no attempt to 
give the history or geography of Japan; her effort was to 
write a simple little story of the Japan our missionaries know. 
She has written a book for Juniors to read, and has tried to 
weave in it the work the Reformed Church in the United 
States is doing in Japan. The story is true, as far as the 
incidents in the story are concerned, but the names are not 
real, and of course all these incidents did not happen in the 
life of any one person. It will be interesting to read, know- 
ing that everything has really happened, not to Miss Wis- 
taria, but to some one known to our missionaries. 

The author is indebted to many books in the Public 
Library of Cleveland for sources of information, and is es- 
pecially indebted to Mrs. W. E. Hoy, Mrs. D. B. Schneder 
and Rev. Christopher Noss, D.D., for stories and incidents, 
and to Mr. John H. Poorman, Secretary of the Mission 
Study Department, for pictures and helps. 



WOULD YOU? 

Would you like to be a Japanese, 

And wear a kimono? 
And wear a gay red obi sash, 

All bunched up in a bow? 
Would .you like a paper parasol, 

An oily one, you know, 
And scrape along on wooden clogs, 

Wherever you should go? 

Would you like to be a Japanese 

And sit upon the floor, 
And have your food on little trays, 

When father's meal is o'er? 
And would you to the temples go, 

With fierce gods at the door, 
And humbly make your offering, 

Though your heart with fear was sore? 

Oh, no! American! I think 

You'd rather be, by far, 
A happy, care-free, helpful child, 

The very kind you are! 
Then thank God for the blessings 

That He has given thee, 
And send the knowledge of His love 

To the children across the sea. 

—Mrs. Maude W. Madden. 



CONTENTS 



Introduction ix 

Would You?' xi 

Chapter I. A Maid of Modern Japan 1 

Chapter II. Naming Baby 9 

Chapter III. At Play 21 

Chapter IV. School Days 33 

Chapter V. At Worship 45 

Chapter VI. My Work as a Bible Woman 55 

Chapter VII. My Marriage 67 

Glossary 79 



ILLUSTRATIONS 

1. Miss Wistaria Frontispiece 

2. Japanese Flag and The Stars and Stripes 2 

3. Fujiyama 5 

4. Bay of Matstjshima 8 

5. Wading Through the Snow 10 

6. Nurses Carrying Babies 16 

7. Two Ways of Travel 18 

8. Doll Festival 26 

9. Boys' Festival 28 

10. Japanese Characters 34 

11. Jinrikisha 40 

12. Class Room 43 

13. Torii 46 

14. Fudo, The Healer Shrine 47 

15. Pagoda 49 

16. Y. W. C. A. Summer Conference 52 

17. Bible Woman 54 

18. Sunday School 58 

19. Playing With Her Doll 64 

20. Kindergarten 74 

21. New Baby 77 



MISS WISTARIA AT HOME 



CHAPTER I 

MISS WISTARIA, A MAID OF MODERN JAPAN 

Good morning, Junior boys and girls, I have been asked 
to tell you all about my life in far-away Japan. I wonder 
just what you want to know about me. The first thing I 
can remember is my home. It was a one-story wooden 
house, much like all the other houses on our street, covered 
with a shingled roof. The partitions, dividing room from 
room, were of paper and could easily be removed. In our 
outer walls were sliding panels which were left open most 
of the time. 

In this way we had plenty of fresh air and sunshine, 
but very little privacy. We had great shutters which could 
be used when needed. 

They were used mostly at night, and I believe I remem- 

1 



MISS WISTARIA 



ber more about the nights, than the days, in my early life. 
It was always my delight when O Ka San (mother) placed 
me on my warm thick roll on the floor. This roll, you know, 
was my bed, which had been taken from the closet in the 
wall and spread out for me to sleep on, to have my dear 
old O Ba San (grandmother) tell me stories until I fell 
asleep. The stories I enjoyed most were about my own dear 
country and its beautiful flag. Japan is called the "Sunrise 
Country," and our flag is a great red sun on a white field. 







rgfi 



J 








THE JAPANESE FLAG AND THE STARS AND STRIPES 



O Ba San told me Japan received this name because the 
Sun God would drop to sleep every night in the waters round 
about our Islands, and upon awakening the next morning 
would shed his light on our country first of all. I liked 



A MAID OF MODERN JAPAN 



to hear her tell me the story about how Japan came into 
existence. 

In the early days of Izanagi and Izanami, the first man 
and woman of Japan, the gods told them to consolidate and 
produce the earth, at the same time handing them a jewelled 
spear. 

Standing on the bridge of heaven, they stirred and 
stirred the mass, that was intended for the earth, until it 
came together and was thoroughly mixed, then drawing their 
spear from this briny mixture, they found some drops drop- 
ping from this wonderful spear. These drops hardened and 
thus all the islands of Japan were formed. 

Ba San also told me our Mikado (Emperor) was a 
descendant from the Sun Goddess, and he was a great war- 
rior, conquering all who opposed him. As a reward he was 
made Emperor of Japan. 

1 know now these tales were only legends and that very 
likely our name "Japan" came from China, from their word 
"Jip-pun," which means the place the Sun comes from. 

Our four thousand islands were made possibly by some 
volcanic eruptions, the same as any other islands. 

Most of the islands are small, resting green and beauti- 
ful upon the blue waters of the Pacific Ocean, about six 



MISS WISTARIA 



thousand miles west of the United States. We are your 
nearest neighbors to the west. Japan, a string of islands, is 
like a great dragon in shape. Think of the island of Yezo 
as its head and its tail reaching as far south as Formosa. 
The dragon seems to be sunning itself along the entire 
eastern coast of Asia. 

The four great islands which compose the mainland, 
Yezo, Nippon, Shikoku and Kyushu, taken together, would 
about equal California in area. 

Nippon is separated from Shikoku and Kyushu by the 
lovely Inland Sea. Here are bays, inlets, waterfalls and 
lakes with water clear as crystal, reflecting in their depths 
the great mountain peaks. This Inland Sea earns for my 
country the name of "Japan the Beautiful." 

The country is mountainous and has many volcanoes, 
some of which are still active. We have many fine harbors, 
and fishing is a great industry. Most of our people are 
farmers, raising rice, wheat, tea and tobacco. Potatoes are 
raised in large quantities, while other vegetables and fruits 
abound. I love my beautiful country and you would love 
it, too, if you could visit with me our sacred mountain 
Fujiyama. 

The mountain seems to rise out of the waters of the 



A MAID OF MODERN JAPAN 




6 MISS WISTARIA 

Pacific Ocean for more than twelve thousand feet. It is a 
sacred place to all Japanese, and every summer thousands 
of pilgrims wend their weary way to its summit for healing 
of body and mind. 

A little legend tells us the gods caused this great 
mountain to appear over night and have made it their home 
ever since. 

In the olden times when we failed to understand a thing, 
we just explained it by saying the gods planned it, so no 
doubt this is why this story about Fuji gained credence. 
The mountain top is always snow-crowned, and because of 
its great height it can be seen from thirteen provinces. 

The next time you look at a Japanese fan, tray, screen 
or painting, look for this sacred Fuji. We never tire of 
painting it. At sunset the mountains seem to be ever chang- 
ing from rose and violet to the deep purple of evening. 

The glorious sunrise changes them again from a purple 
haze to the lilac and pink of morning splendor. 

We very often have earthquakes and I don't like them 
at all. When I was quite a little girl we had an earthquake 
that shook our frail house, knocking the lamps from the 
shelves and setting the house on fire. 

Our neighbors came and soon tore the house down. We 



A MAID OF MODERN JAPAN 



had no fire engine in our city then. No one was hurt and 
our friends kindly sheltered us in their homes until our house 
was rebuilt, and ever since then I am afraid of earthquakes. 

Our home is in the city of Sendai, just a few miles from 
the coast in Miyagi province in Northeastern Japan. 

Shiogama, the seaport, is really the gateway to Sendai. 
Nearby is the beautiful Bay of Matsushima, quite as beauti- 
ful, although not so well known as the Inland Sea of the 
South. Travelers rarely come as far North as Sendai. 
Matsushima means Pine Islands, and takes its name from the 
hundreds of curious islands which the sea has carved from 
the soft yellow rock. Each island is covered with pine trees. 

The Hirose River leaves its mountain bed at Sendai 
and half encircles the city as it begins its course through 
the fertile plain of the Miyagi province, never stopping until 
it reaches the ocean beyond. 

From the high bluffs on the west of Sendai you will get 
but a mere glimpse of the low houses and narrow streets, 
for the city is full of trees. Our city is the home of one 
hundred thousand people. 



8 



MISS WISTARIA 




CHAPTER II 

NAMING BABY 

If I am to tell you my story I really should begin with 
my birth, and tell you all my O Ka San (mother) used to 
tell me about the things that happened while I was too young 
to understand them. 

Our family name was "Yoshida." Now, all Japanese 
names mean something, and our name meant "good field." 
One day in February neighbors came wading through the 
snow on their "geta" (wooden shoes), passing through our 
little gateway and along the row of stepping-stones to our 
tiny porch. Instead of knocking or pushing the button of 
an electric bell, each visitor called, "Excuse me, please!" 

At that the sliding door opened, disclosing my O Ba San 
(grandmother) seated on the floor and bowing until her head 
touched the mat. Greetings were exchanged and the ques- 
tion asked which meant, "Is it a boy or a girl?" Of course 
they referred to me, the very new baby. With an air of 
apology grandmother answered, "A girl." All the joy in 
our neighbors' faces was changed to sadness and they tried 

9 



10 



MISS WISTARIA 




WADIXG THROUGH THE SNOW 



NAMING BABY 11 

to comfort my family by saying, "Perhaps the gods will be 
more gracious to you the next time and send you a boy." 
Some of the visitors would then slip off their shoes, for you 
know the shoes in Japan are always left outdoors ; straw san- 
dals or a simple "tabi" (stocking) made of cotton cloth and 
very much resembling our mittens are worn in the house. 
And then they would enter our little parlor. 

This room is bare of all furniture except the grass mats, 
a few cushions, and a picture roll hanging in a recessed place 
of honor. Our visitors, as is our custom, would sit on one 
of the mats while we draw a little table before them and serve 
them with tea and rice cakes. While they drink the tea, 
making just as much noise with their mouths as possible 
(this is to show how good they consider the tea), they 
would continue to express their regrets because the baby 
was a girl rather than a boy. 

However, O Totsu San (father) and O Ka San 
(mother) did not feel half as badly as they imagined. They 
took a real interest in me. Of course they would have 
believed it very bad luck if I had been the first baby, but I 
was number two, and Taro San (eldest son) had brought 
them great happiness and the favor of the gods only two 
years before. 



12 MISS WISTARIA 

Mother was in a room just next to our garden; the 
drooping wistaria vines almost seemed to be growing in the 
room itself. It was a pretty room, with its bed on the floor, 
and the tea kettle singing over a little charcoal fire box. 
The only furniture was a great chest of drawers built into 
the room. This chest, with its red-lacquered front, added 
a touch of color and made the little baby dressed in a bril- 
liant yellow and scarlet kimono look very gay indeed. 

On the top of this chest stood the ancestral tablets. 
They were wooden tablets inscribed with the name of a 
dead relative. With them stood a row of ugly images, you 
would say, but they were our gods. This was our "Kami- 
dana" (god-shelf) and to these gods we looked for protec- 
tion and help. We expected them to keep away sickness, 
death, fire and any other calamity that might touch our 
dwelling. 

O Totsu San planted a little tree called "kiri" for me 
the day I was born. Many of our people do this, with the 
idea that the tree will grow large enough . to furnish the 
wood for the bureau when their daughter is married. I think 
this would depend on how early or late in life she became 
a bride, don't you? When I was seven days old I received 
my name. The name Fuji, meaning wistaria, was selected, 



NAMING BABY 13 

possibly because it is a Japanese custom to name girls after 
flowers, and mother no doubt thought of the graceful, beau- 
tiful vine in our garden, with a wish that her daughter should 
grow up equally graceful and beautiful. 

The name was written on a slip of paper and with great 
ceremony presented to the row of gods and ancestral tab- 
lets on the god-shelf, thus announcing to the departed spirits 
the arrival of a new member of the family. On another slip 
of paper was written this notice: "To Mr. Yoshida was born 
a daughter, Fuji." This notice was posted in our parlor, 
where anyone who happened to come in might see it. 

Of course my family would call me Fuji, or perhaps 
Nei San (sister) , but everyone else must call me O Fuji San 
(honorable Miss Fuji), as San after a name means either 
Mister, Mrs. or Miss. During the next fourteen days I 
did nothing but eat and sleep and take my bath like all babies. 
Did I say take my bath like all babies? Well! I hardly 
meant that, for babies in Japan have a hard time getting used 
to a bath. What would you do if your grandmother would 
bring in a great wash tub about half-full of almost boiling 
water, and rolling you in a white cloth, drop you in this 
fearfully hot water to soak? Well! I just screamed as loudly 
as I could, and I guess you would have done the same. 



14 MISS WISTARIA 

After I was lifted out grandmother rubbed me with a 
dry cloth and a little oil and fastened a gay kimono around 
me. 

My little kimonos were all so gay. The ground of scar- 
let, purple or yellow would be covered with large poppies, 
chrysanthemums, plum or cherry blossoms, or a wistaria 
bloom. Doubtless they were the gifts of our friends, for at 
the birth of a child the callers either bring a kimono for the 
baby to wear or a fish for the mother to eat. 

The subject of clothes in Japan is a very simple one, 
as the whole family dresses alike and the styles never 
change. 

The difference between boys' and girls' clothing is 
largely one of color. Men and boys wear kimonos of dull 
colors and a narrow belt, while women and girls wear gay 
and very bright-colored kimonos, with wide "obi" (sash) 
tied in back. Many of these sashes are five yards long and 
very heavy to wear. 

My twenty-first day was a feast day. Mother was con- 
sidered well again and able to return to the family duties, 
so our friends and relatives celebrated by eating a big din- 
ner at our house. The main course was rice cooked with 
red beans. After the meal small portions of this rice in 



NAMING BABY 15 

red-lacquered boxes were sent to all the friends who had 
sent me a gift. 

My next great day was the thirty-third day. I was 
dressed in my. gayest kimono, a purple ground with large 
scarlet peonies on it, tied to the back of a little nurse girl, 
another kimono was wound around me, and mother, grand- 
mother, nurse and I wended our way to the Temple. 

Mother carried a bag of rice and as we crossed over the 
little bridge leading to the temple, mother threw rice into 
the stream, hoping thus to secure the good-will of the gods. 

Arriving at the temple, the women slipped off their 
shoes and climbed the steps to the temple door. Here they 
clapped their hands and rang a great bell to awaken the gods 
who might be sleeping. Grandmother presented me with 
due ceremony to the gods, after dropping her money in the 
contribution box, announcing loudly that the temple had 
now gained another worshipper. Before leaving, both 
mother and grandmother bowed down to the ground and 
begged the gods to be good to me and guard me from all 
evil spirits. They arose assured of an answer to their 
prayers. 

They did want me to have everything that made for 



16 



MISS WISTARIA 




NAMING BABY 17 



happiness, and they knew no other god who would listen 
to their prayers. . 

The days passed rapidly and I was one hundred days 
old and received my first meal. At least that is what mother 
called it, but somehow after I heard all about it I began to 
think O Ba San and not the baby received the first meal. 

A feast of rice and red beans was again prepared and 
the oldest member of our family, grandmother, took me on 
her lap, and taking a little ball of rice in her chop-sticks, 
placed it in my mouth for a second, after which she would 
withdraw it and proceed to eat it herself. This is known 
as baby's first meal. After my "first meal," much of my 
time was spent on the back of a nurse-maid, a mere child 
herself. Mothers and children carry babies strapped on 
their backs almost all day long. 

Anywhere women can be seen with babies on their backs, 
swaying to and fro to soothe the babies, while chatting with 
neighbors, shopping, etc. Little girls carry babies to school 
or romp and play, while babies either laugh, cry or sleep on 
their backs. 

Our babies are the best babies in the world, or they 
never would be so good-natured under such treatment. 



18 



MISS WISTARIA 




It is said that Japan- 
ese babies never cry, 
but I guess we do our 
share. But, really, we 
have less to cry about 
than other babies. We 
have no furniture in 
our houses to keep 
away from; we are 
never housed up in dark 
rooms, and we can even 
play in the street with- 
out danger from auto- 
mobiles. So, why should 
we cry? 

During my first six 
two ways of travel yea rs I learned to play 

with dolls and to carry them on my back as mother carried 
me. I learned to sit properly on the floor with my feet 
crossed under me ; I learned how to greet my father and any 
friends with a polite bow, putting my hands together in a 
heart shape on the floor and bowing until my head almost 
touched mv hands. I also learned to bow much lower to men 



NAMING BABY 19 

than to women. I learned to obey my grandparents, father 
and Ani San (elder brother), and to place a daily offering 
on the god-shelf. This offering was often a portion of my 
food. 

Every day I was taught to worship my ancestors, and 
during these early years one more tablet was placed on the 
shelf, for O Ji San (grandfather) died. So a new name 
was inscribed for him and I had a new tablet to remember 
and worship. 



CHAPTER III 



AT PLAY 



The children of Japan just love to play. They have so 
many games just like the games you play, only we call them 
by other names. 

All our boys enjoy playing with tops and balls; oh, how 
they can spin tops. It seems very easy for them to keep 
three spinning at the same time. Then the balls, too; they 
rarely use just one — they endeavor to have several in the 
air at a time. The girls play a game called "Bounce the 
Ball." The ball is dashed upon the ground so it will bounce, 
while the girl must turn clear around and be ready to strike 
the ball again on the rebound. She should do this at least 
five times without missing. Try it some time; it is lots of 
fun for the girl, but hard on the baby strapped on her back. 

"Battledore and Shuttlecock" is another game all the 
girls play. A new battledore is always expected as a New 
Year's gift, much as your children expect a new doll at 
Christmas. We are all very fond of candy. While at play 
we eat candy that is made from chestnuts and barley sugar. 

21 



22 MISS WISTARIA 

It is made in large slabs about one inch thick, much like 
your taffy. We not only buy it along the street, but we can 
buy cakes and even make them on our streets. 

Did you ever see a cooking-stove man on your streets? 
One day while I was playing I heard the bell and I knew 
it was the cooking-stove man. 

He carries a real kitchen with him; the stove is a little 
charcoal burner and oven, and besides he has all the utensils 
used in cooking or baking a cake. All the children follow 
him. Making, baking and eating your cake is such fun that 
even boys purchase from him. 

We give him a coin and he gives us some dough accord- 
ing to the size of the coin. We shape it; the boys almost 
always make a fish, while the girls try to make flowers, and 
putting it in the tiny oven bake it brown. I remember one 
day I had a coin and gave it to him, but I told him I wanted 
to make my own cake, so he gave me a cup, spoon and tiny 
bowl and all the things for a cake. Oh! how I did mix and 
stir, and finally rolled it out on the little board, carefully 
shaping a plum blossom. I then slipped it into the oven and 
waited so anxiously for it to bake. It was my first lesson 
in baking. 

The dav before our New Year's festival these men come 



AT PLAY 23 



around and help our families to prepare little cakes of rice 
to use on these holidays. 

These men are really called "O Mochi" men. They boil 
the water, steam and pound the rice, keeping their mallets 
going to the rhythm of the song they sing. 

Mothers and grandmothers then take the pounded rice 
and shape it into little cakes to bake. When I was little 
I just loved to help shape these tiny cakes. Some of them 
we used on the "Kamidana" (god-shelf), placing them in 
a little pyramid on the "Toko" (place of honor). 

The day before New Year's is a busy day. While the 
girls and women are busy in the kitchen, at the front of the 
house Ani San (elder brother) and O Totsu San (father) 
are planting a tree. Every family erects two little trees. 
They are either pine or bamboo. The poorer people set up 
at least a twig. We erected a pine tree because our father 
told us our ancestors always carried a pine tree with them 
into battle, and it helped them to win, so of course we like 
the pine tree best. Our trees were placed one on each side 
of the doorway, with a straw rope connecting the two, mak- 
ing it look like an arch. On this arch was placed a fern, 
with lots of leaves and a red lobster. I'm sure you want 
to know what all this means, don't you? Our pine tree stands 



24 MISS WISTARIA 

for courage and ability to endure, the red lobster means long 
life. Hanging over the door it says: "May the folks in here 
live till their backs are bent double and their beards reach 
to their knees, like the feelers on this lobster." 

The fern, with its many leaves, means many children. 
Over all this decoration we place the two flags of the Rising 
Sun. But I almost hear you say, "What about that straw 
rope?" A little legend tells us that one time the winter had 
been so long the people thought the Sun Goddess had fallen 
asleep in her cave, so they went to the cave and made loud 
noises beating drums. Finally the Goddess came out to see 
what all the racket meant, and the men slyly stepped behind 
her and stretched a straw rope across the mouth of the cave, 
so she could not go in again. So some people say we put 
up that straw rope to help us remember the Sun Goddess 
and all she does for us, but I believe the real reason is because 
a rope is used in our Shinto shrines to mark off the clean 
interior from the common outer world, and we use it to show 
that we want nothing unclean nor unlucky to come in our 
house all this New Year. I think if you would put our deco- 
rations into words it would say: "May every one in this house 
be strong and well; may the family live to a good old age 
and have lots of sons ; may nothing unclean or unlucky enter 



AT PLAY 25 



this door!" Splendid wishes for a New Year, don't you 
think? 

When the great holiday arrives we get up very early 
in the morning. O Totsu San goes to the temple before 
breakfast. After breakfast we visit all our relatives and 
friends. It is a day of great rejoicing. The streets are gay 
with the kites of the boys and the battledores of the girls. 
Many of these battledores are beautifully embroidered. 

Every boy has a kite, as he carries his own gifts to others, 
and the girls carry their battledores just as proudly. At 
each house we visit we receive tea and the little mochi cakes. 
We eat all we can, but best of all, when we can eat no more, 
it is quite polite to slip the rest in our great sleeves for use 
later on. 

This is our first great festival, but I like the second one, 
the "Feast of Dolls," which comes on the third day of the 
third month, the very best of all. That's because I am a 
girl, for Ani San (elder brother) likes the "Feast of Flags," 
which comes the fifth day of the fifth month, the best. The 
day before the Doll Festival my dolls were all arranged on 
shelves, row upon row, such a lot of them. Some had be- 
longed to mother, grandmother, great grandmother and even 
great-great grandmother. 



26 



MISS WISTARIA 



Each year 
some new dolls 
are added. I did 
not have a com- 
plete set, which 
included the 
Emperor, Em- 
press and all the 
court ladies and 
men, with a band 
of musicians, 
and these dolls 
cost lots of 
money and could 
never be played 
with. On this 
day we dress in 
our gayest ki- 
doll festival mono and, after 

placing little cakes before our dolls, we go forth to visit the 
doll displays of our friends, much as you would look at each 
other's Christmas trees. At each place we bow, eat cakes 
and drink tea. Our schools are closed and the whole day 




AT PLAY 27 



given to the girls and their dolls. It is interesting to hear 
the stories of the various dolls, and I never liked night to 
come, for then our dolls are placed in boxes and put away 
for another year. 

In April we have the Fete of the Sakura (cherry blos- 
soms). It is our first picnic. We dress and oil our hair, 
putting in new hair pins and ornaments. We don our gay 
kimonos and gayer obi (sashes) and under the shelter of an 
oiled-paper parasol, accompanied by teachers and parents, 
we walk to our parks. Passing the temple we drop a coin 
in the contribution box, clap our hands and bow low before 
the idol, repeating his name over and over, which is sup- 
posed to be praying. Then we spend a long, happy day 
under the cherry trees. Booths are put up in which are sold 
candy, toys and cherry blossoms; the bands play and the 
flags wave, while we sit on the ground and eat a lunch of 
rice cakes or bean paste made in the shape of flowers. 

The "Feast of Flags," the boys' festival, is ushered in 
by each house placing a tall pole near the front door, from 
the top of which hang fish made of paper or silk. There are 
always as many fish as there are boys in the family. Most 
of the fish are carp. This fish is said to be able to swim 



28 



MISS WISTARIA 



against the current and even jump up waterfalls, and was 
selected as a fitting emblem. This mounted carp is saying 

to eve r y boy : 
"You, too, must 
overcome many 
obstacles if you 
would rise to 
fame." 

The carp, 
called "nobori," 
are often four 
feet long, and a 

BOYS' FESTIVAL hoop of bamboo 

holds their mouths open, so they float in the air as though 
alive. 

It is a wonderful sight to see the sky literally filled with 
fish. Again the shelves are placed up for a display, but in- 
stead of dolls, the shelves are filled with toys for boys — 
soldiers, pictures of the Emperor, figures of "Hachiman" 
(god of war), archery sets, swords and tiny sets of armor 
with a pine tree on them. A great day for the boys; filled 
with visiting, eating, target practice and kite flying. 

Athletic contests are indulged in, concluding with a war- 




AT PLAY 29 



like contest called "Gem-pei." This is a sham battle staged 
on two nearby hills; one crowd planting a red flag on their 
hill, while the other crowd plants a white flag on the opposite 
hill. The flag of the enemy must be captured and carried 
away. It is played according to rules. It is a battle royal; 
the boys are often bound hand and foot while proud fathers 
watch and urge on the contest. The flag captured, the win- 
ning side parades the streets of the village and is feasted 
at the homes of the various boys. 

What boy would not enjoy a holiday such as this? 

Another old festival we used to celebrate is "Tanabata." 
Many neglect to celebrate this day and it is not considered 
so important as other holidays. It occurs on the seventh 
day of the seventh month. The little legend which suggests 
this celebration deals with the stars and the wonderful "Milky 
Way," which we call the "Celestial River." We are told the 
fable of the Weaver and the Herdsman. The Herdsman is 
a star in Aquila and the Weaver is the star Vega. They are 
on opposite sides of the "Milky Way," but on July 7 they 
come together. The story, as we hear it, is as follows : Once 
upon a time there was a maiden who would weave all the 
clothes for the gods. She was kept so busy weaving that she 
had no time to adorn her own person, hence was not beau- 



30 MISS WISTARIA 

tiful and no one sought her in marriage. The gods, noting 
her condition, had compassion on her loneliness. They put 
it into the heart of a herdsman to marry her. The maiden 
loved her husband so much she began to neglect her weaving, 
so the gods separated them, placing them on opposite sides 
of this "Celestial River," allowing them only one day a year 
to spend together. This day they are so happy, the gods 
grant them any favors they may ask. 

So it has become the custom to have the children ask 
favors of the gods on this day through the Weaver and 
Herdsman. 

A small bamboo tree is set up at each door, trimmed 
with gay lanterns and long strips of many-colored papers, 
each bearing requests for help from the gods. Boys ask that 
they may be helped in school or be strong and win in "Gem- 
pei," and the girls want to learn to sew and write well and 
paint. It is a beautiful sight to see all these lanterns and 
gay papers swaying in the breeze. The boys use this time as 
another test of strength. They organize clubs and feast all 
morning, then in the afternoon, each girded with a branch of 
bamboo, they go forth to fight other clubs. The fun lasts 
until dark, when the whole family, with lighted lanterns, 
walk the streets looking at the oddly decorated trees. The 



AT PLAY 31 



following morning the trees and their trimmings are taken 
to the nearest bridge and thrown into the running water with 
a prayer that, as the trees pass from sight, our requests may 
be borne up to the gods, who are so willing to answer prayers 
on this particular day. 

The last great holiday is the celebration of the Em- 
peror's Birthday. This is on October 31st, the time of maples 
and chrysanthemums. Flags and soldiers seem to be every- 
where. In our capital city, Tokyo, the Emperor reviews his 
troops ; in our city of Sendai we celebrate in our schools. We 
sing the national anthem and listen to all the stories about 
our Mikado, and all the great things he has done. A per- 
sonal message or rescript from the Emperor is read, and 
we are reminded that it is the duty of every boy and girl in 
Japan to loyally serve their Emperor, even giving up life 
itself when necessary. 

The exercises completed, the rest of the day is a great 
picnic. Many spend it in visiting the chrysanthemum shows 
arranged at that time. 

Before the end of November, on the twenty-third of 
the month, we have a holy day. It is like your Thanksgiving. 
On that day our Emperor takes the rice just harvested, and 
tasting it, gives thanks to the gods for a good crop, and then 



32 MISS WISTARIA 

he gives it to his people for their food. We do not need to 
work nor go to school on this day, but we are urged to go 
to our temples and, taking an offering, to give thanks. My 
offering was always rice cakes and coins, and I, too, offered 
a prayer of thanks for food in plenty. 



CHAPTER IV 

SCHOOL DAYS 

My days were not all play days and holidays. Many 
of them were school days and work days. When I was six 
years old I went to school just as you do in America. 

It was hard for me to go to school at first. I thought 
everyone would laugh at me, and slowly, oh so slowly, I 
went, carrying my writing materials, a copy-book, a cake 
of ink and a pen. My pen was not a steel one like your 
pens. It was just a very tiny paint-brush and is much harder 
to use than your style of pen. 

Our schoolroom had white matting on the floor. We 
left our shoes on the outside of the room, close beside the 
door, and such a scramble for shoes when school was over. 
The only furniture seemed to be odd chests of drawers 
in which our books, pens, ink and soroban were kept. The 
soroban is our counting machine. It looks like your count- 
ing boards often found in nurseries and kindergartens. 

We not only learn to count on them, but we become 
slaves to them, and cannot count without them. 

33 



34 MISS WISTARIA 

You will find these counting machines in all our busi- 
ness houses; in fact, we just can't count without them, and 
we do use them very rapidly. Arriving at school I made 
the many bows required, and bowed very low indeed, all the 
time saying: "Ohayo" (Good morning!) to my teacher. 
Thus my training began. 

My first lesson was in reading and learning the syl- 
labary. I was required not to learn twenty-six letters, but 
three thousand characters. Our language has really ten 
thousand characters in general use, and we are required to 
learn at least three thousand in the elementary school; that 
is, during the first six or eight years of school life. 

^fc J Our characters are 

*^W^^y £ really little pictures. 

2T( jfe ^f^^^™5^ ^ e draw a picture to 

^f^ J^^T >^ ^ represent our thought. 

^^^^ L^ ^_^^^ While reading and 

l^^r writing is very hard to 

^^^ learn, we think Jap- 

japanese characters anese is beautiful when 

well written, and we all aim to write well. 

Our reading lessons are often dull, much of our read- 
ing is about how we should behave. There seem to be rules 



SCHOOL DAYS 35 

for everything. However, we do enjoy some little stories like 
your Mother Goose rhymes. We had a funny little rhyme 
about a cow, and one of our stories is much like your Red 
Riding Hood. Would you like to hear it? 

"Once upon a time a little girl about seven years old was 
carrying rice-balls to her father, who had gone to sell toys 
at a festival several miles away. She ran carelessly along 
and, missing her path, soon found herself in front of a large 
bear. She could not run, so she decided to be friendly. The 
bear growled and growled. She thought of her rice-balls. 
Taking one in her hand and holding it toward the bear, 
she said: 'Ojisan, ojisan (uncle, uncle) is this what you 
want?' The bear took the ball and broke it open, but hesi- 
tated to eat it and growled again. Then the little girl said : 
'Ojisan, I would not fool you; there is no poison in it.' So 
the bear ate up the rice-balls. The little girl then said: 'Oji- 
san, I'll be going.' In her haste she would have taken the 
wrong road, but the now friendly bear, to repay her kind- 
ness, pointed her to the road that led her safely home." 

I guess this story was meant to teach us that kindness 
pays. 

Our other lessons were in writing, geography, drawing 
and counting. I believe we all liked our lessons in counting 



36 MISS WISTARIA 

the best. To me it seemed like play to push the little balls 
on our soroban up and down. This counting was a great 
rest after the long tedious lessons in reading and writing. 
Much time is spent in training us in morals and manners; 
we learned what we must do on all occasions. We must 
always smile no matter how we feel, and we can never be 
rude, we must always be polite. Our greatest lesson is a 
lesson of obedience; first to our Emperor, then to our an- 
cestors, then to our parents and teachers. We learn how to 
bow properly; also that we must bow much lower to a man 
than to a woman; that our heads must touch the ground in 
bowing to royalty. Don't you think our custom of placing 
our hands in a heart shape and bowing our heads over them 
is very pretty and suggestive? We seem to be saying: "We 
give you our hearts as well as our hands in greeting." We 
are taught to arrange flowers artistically. 

Patriotism is taught in our schools, not by a salute to 
the flag, but rather by paying respect to the picture of the 
Emperor. Every school has a picture of the Emperor ; it is 
kept in a separate room and is the special care of the janitor. 
Under no circumstance must he permit others to touch it. 
In case of danger he must care for this picture first. On 
the Emperor's Birthday it is uncovered and brought into our 



SCHOOL DAYS 37 



room, and every child stands with bowed head during the 
whole exercise. Not a head must be lifted until the picture 
is safely returned to its own room. One day a fire occurred 
in one of our schools and the janitor failed to save the 
Emperor's picture, so he killed himself. He knew, although 
he had not been at fault, the people would point to him 
with shame as one who failed to save his Emperor's picture. 
His friends all felt it was best he killed himself ; they thought 
that would prove he was brave and had done his best to 
fulfill his duty. 

Before I had finished my course in the elementary school 
we heard rumors of a new kind of school. It seemed to be a 
new force in our city. 

Mr. Oshikawa and a Mr. Yoshida, not my father, had 
gathered together a little band of followers and they were 
teaching anew religion. 

The people said they were always together, praying for 
a leader to help them teach this new religion. Besides this 
little band there were Rev. E. H. Jones and wife, of the 
Baptist Church, and Dr. and Mrs. H. W. Schwartz, of the 
Methodist Church, spending much time telling of a Saviour, 
who loved us and died for us all, and that He would give 
eternal life to all who believed on Him. At last the day 



38 MISS WISTARIA 

came when Mr. Oshikawa and his band were made happy 
by having their prayer answered. Rev. W. E. Hoy, of the 
Reformed Church of the United States, came as their leader. 
He was not in our city long until he planned to open schools 
for both boys and girls, and decided to invite all who could 
not pay to come learn to read and write, hoping in this way 
to get acquainted and be able to give them the message of 
God's love. 

The little school grew rapidly because at that time every 
one was so anxious to learn English and anything American 
appealed to them. 

Today this is changed, and we are using better judg- 
ment and we are only trying to learn the things that are 
suited to our needs. We are trying to find which of these 
new ideas are really worth while and use only them. Mr. 
Hoy decided to send for helpers and open a school for girls. 
I wanted to go to the new school, but my parents were not 
willing to have me attend. I can remember how excited I 
was the day O Mura San and O Yuki San, two of my little 
friends, told me that two lady teachers would arrive in Sendai 
that day. 

Since then I learned the two lady teachers, Misses Ault 
and Poorbaugh, were just as excited as I was. Miss Ault 



SCHOOL DAYS 39 



often told of the journey from Yokohama to Shiogama by 
boat, arriving about seven in the evening. 

Mr. Hoy and Dr. and Mrs. Schwartz met them and 
took them to a Japanese hotel. Everything seemed so queer 
to them. They were asked to remove their shoes before 
entering and it seemed strange to be handed cushions, in- 
stead of chairs, to sit on. 

Their attempts to sit and rise gracefully were laughable. 
Miss Ault never forgets her first supper. Small trays were 
placed before them on the floor, and to her it seemed like 
playing in a doll house. The girls who served were so pretty, 
neat and clean, and the tray looked so dainty, she was glad 
to eat. But oh! how awkward she was in using the chop- 
sticks for the first time. She felt so embarrassed to find 
most of her soup spilled in her lap. 

The journey to Sendai was made in a jinrikisha, and 
Miss Ault told us she had the queerest sensation when she got 
in it. She felt as though she had crawled into a baby car- 
riage and had a man pulling her along. The ride was rough 
and novel and really enjoyable, because it was short. 

As they neared the city of Sendai they were met by the 
little praying band who welcomed them with much joy. I 
wanted to go to see the strange women because O Mura San 



40 



MISS WISTARIA 




JIXRIKISHA 



SCHOOL DAYS 41 



and O Yuki San were going, but my parents objected. My 
parents did not belong to the praying band like O Mura 
San's mother. 

The little party came back to Sendai about midnight 
and early the next morning I went with my little friends to 
catch a glimpse of the strange women. 

They were very different from each other, one was tall 
and the other short, like us. In fact I thought Miss Ault, 
short and with dark eyes (they were straight, not slanting, 
like our eyes ) , would look most like us, if she would wear a 
pretty kimono, instead of a tight-fitting waist and so much 
draping in her skirt. Her dress seemed so funny ; instead of 
nice and tight, so she could take little steps, her skirt was so 
full and her sleeves were tight and no pockets in them at all. 
Our sleeves are loose and comfortable and the pockets in 
them are so handy for carrying packages, fan, and the food 
we cannot eat while at the table. 

All the little girls liked to see the new hats from Amer- 
ica. We never wear hats, we just oil our hair and brush it 
until it is glossy and doing it high on our heads, like mother 
does, we ornament our heads with lots of fancy pins and 
little fans. We use our oiled paper parasols for either rain 
or sun, but at present we have many umbrellas that are made 



42 MISS WISTARIA 

of cloth or silk. In our country the only hats are worn 
by the men. The farmer's rain hat is really curious, it looks 
like a small strawstack mounted on his head and sheds the 
rain much as a thatched roof on a house. 

These new teachers soon found a suitable house on a 
street called Nibancho (or the second street). The house 
was used for a school, too, and O Mura San and O Yuki San 
were the first students ; but securing students was easy then, 
for it cost nothing and the girls were glad to come. Soon 
90 girls were enrolled. The school was so near my home and 
I, too, wanted to go and learn all the queer American ways. 
I talked so much about it that my father promised to go to 
the street meeting and learn from Mr. Hoy just what they 
were teaching. So on the holiday (Sunday), father went 
and heard about the "Jesus way." When he returned he 
said I could go and learn English, but he thought the "Way 
of the Gods" was good enough for us, and I should not learn 
this new religion. Later he gave me permission to enter 
the school. 

On Sunday all our schools are closed, but this new 
school was held that day, too. The girls said it was different 
and they had no lessons to learn, just singing anew song 
and some talking and every girl received a card with a pretty 



SCHOOL DAYS 



picture. The school had a baby organ and Miss Poorbaugh 
could play with both hands. This was wonderful to me, 
because our Japanese teachers only pick out the tune with 
one finger. 

I was happy in the new school and the teachers were 
always kind and pleasant. Our school grew and soon Miss 
Poorbaugh's sister, Miss Emma, came to help in our work. 
The teaching of music was given to her and we all enjoyed 
this part of our work. We were taught Christmas songs — 
Christmas was to be a new holiday for us. On Christmas 
morning we came early and sang our carols at the homes 
of all the Christians in our city. 

Today our 
G i r 1 s' School, 
the Miyagi Jo 
Gakko, has 
grown to be sec- 
ond to none in 
our province, 
even the Im- 
peria] Govern- 
class room ment has rec- 

ognized it as one of the leading schools. Thus it has grown 




44 MISS WISTARIA 

from such a small beginning and today, with its many 
graduates at work throughout the country, and its five 
American teachers, it is a great influence for good in the 
Miyagi Province. 



CHAPTER V 



AT WOKSHIP 



At the Miyagi Jo Gakko (Girls' School) I could not 
help being impressed with the "Jesus religion," as we all 
called it. Watching O Mura San and others, I felt that 
they had something that I lacked. 

I attended the school on Sunday and learned to sing 
with others, "Waga Shu Yesu"; in your language, it would 
be "Yes, Jesus Loves Me." 

Wa ga shu Yesu 
Wa ga shu Yesu 
Wa ga shu Yesu 
Ware wo aisu. 

I, too, was beginning to feel the love of this Jesus ; but 
I still went through the forms of my old religions. I was 
both a Shintoist and a Buddhist. 

There are three so-called religions in Japan. The 
Shinto, meaning "The Way of the Gods," is the national 

45 



46 



MISS WISTARIA 



religion and a form of patriotism. We believe our Mikado 
is a descendant of the gods, so we worship and do honor to 
him. We add to the Emperor all our great warriors and 
our ancestors and worship them; we also add all the great 
forces of nature that we fail to understand and many ani- 
mals, hence strangers find us worshipping many gods, with 
our whole Island dotted with shrines and temples. 

Shinto has no 
wonderful tem- 
ples,the worship- 
per approaches 
through a simple 
"Torii" (sacred 
arch) ; this arch 
is made of two 
posts and two 
cross beams, the 
torii upper one pro- 

jecting at both ends. 

One of our old tales tells us these beams in olden times 
were perches for the birds, used in worship, at the sacred 
temple. Another tale tells us the "Golden Crow," a sacred 
bird, rests on these arches in his flight toward the sun. 




AT WORSHIP 



47 



No one really knows just why we have these arches, but 
today we use them as a place on which to hang our offerings 
of silk or paper. Many a wayside shrine is gaily decorated 
in all the colors of the rainbow. 

We have no elaborate services. We worship any time 
during the day, ringing a bell and clapping our hands to call 
the god's attention; we drop our coin in the box, say our 
prayer and our worship is over. Shrines abound everywhere. 
Christians go to but one church, while we have shrines for 
different things, so we visit and pray at many places. We 






FUDO, THE HEADER SHRINE 



48 MISS WISTARIA 

have this shrine to "Fudo the Healer" at Shiogama, where 
many go when ill. Once a year we go to the children's shrine 
and offer prayers for health, and that we may be good 
scholars. 

The hot water shrine is a shrine just for women. In 
Sendai we have a shrine for men; it was erected to "Hachi- 
man," the god of war. Crowds gather here on January 14, 
and bring offerings of "sake," rice liquor. Their worship 
consists of undressing and pouring cold water over their 
heads and bodies to cleanse themselves of the sins of the 
past year; and in praying to "Hachiman" for protection 
during the new year. In olden times they paraded the 
streets, but this is now forbidden. The men drink the 
"sake" the gods cannot drink, and return to their homes 
quarrelsome and intoxicated. 

The roads through the country are full of nature 
shrines; you will see the shrine to the "Mountain God," the 
"Fox God," the "Monkey God," the "Tree God," and 
travelers drop in their coins and pray at all of these. Even 
our horses are not forgotten; there is a shrine for horses. 
Once a year horses are taken to the shrine, the coin is 
dropped, and clapping our hands to call the god's attention, 
the horses are made to say their prayers by running round 



AT WORSHIP 



49 



and round the shrine. The horses do not know what it all 
means, but they, and the children round about, enjoy it; 
while the owners believe these prayers will keep their horses 
in health for a year. Dr. Noss calls it a sort of lif e insurance. 
This, then, is Shinto as we see it. Summing it all 
up, we may say it only pertains to this life. We learn to 
obey the laws of the state and family, and then follow our 
own desires. 

Buddhism, however, is very different. It tells us all 
about a future life. 

Buddhist priests teach we 
are born into this world many 
times, sometimes as a human 
being, or an animal, or a bird, 
or even an insect; therefore 
they never kill anything. They 
teach that it all depends on 
how you live, and how many 
prayers you say, whether you 
will be born next time to a 
pleasant life or a life of suf- 
fering. 

pagoda Buddhism has thousands of 

temples and about as many idols as Shinto has shrines. 




50 MISS WISTARIA 

The temples are often placed in beautiful gardens full 
of little ponds containing gold fish and ducks. 

The children are expected to buy, of the priest, food 
for these sacred animals. While the parents worship before 
the idol in the temple, the children roam in the gardens, 
feeding the gold fish or doves, that are supposed to be mes- 
sengers of the gods. 

The boys enjoy feeding the turtles and deer, and like 
the capers of the frisky little ponies. The children's god is 
called "Jizo"; he is represented as sitting with a pile of 
stones in his lap. It is believed that when little children die 
they must wander around, ever piling up stones in Jizo's lap 
for prayers. Wicked demons scare the children and throw 
down their stones, and then they must begin to pile the 
stones over again. 

Children are taken to the temple to be christened, and 
also in cases of sickness. Some idols are thought to have 
special power in healing the sick. It is the custom to rub 
the afflicted part of the body on the same part of the idol, 
hence many idols are minus hands or legs or ears, or have 
their whole face caved in because so many had tooth-ache or 
ear-ache, etc. A coin must always be given the priest before 
you can go near the idol. 



AT WORSHIP 51 



The Japanese seem to do as St. Paul commands, "Pray 
without ceasing" ; everywhere there is a call to prayer. 

They have invented many curious ways of praying, for 
instance, we may write our prayer on a slip of paper, chew 
it into a little ball and throw the ball at the idol. If it sticks 
our prayer will be answered; if not, we must pray again. 
Or we can use the prayer-wheel. This is built much like your 
coffee grinder; we place our written prayer in the hopper 
and start to grind. The more times the wheel goes round 
the more prayers we get credit for saying. 

I used to use this prayer-wheel, but since I came to the 
Christian school I am sorry to find my people praying al- 
ways, but not knowing the God who alone is able to answer 
their prayers. They pray to gods that Isaiah told about: 
"that have eyes that see not, and ears that hear not"; gods 
that can never respond to their cry of need. Let us pray 
earnestly that soon all may learn of the one true God to 
whom all men shall bow, who alone can give healing divine 
and life eternal. 

Confucianism, the other great religion, is a set of rules to 
live by. Many of the rules are very good, but most of the 
good ones apply only to men and boys. 

Confucius had no place for girls and women, and in his 
great books likens them often to pigs and other animals, but 




52 MISS WISTARIA 

a better day is 
dawning in Ja- 
pan for women. 
Shortly be- 
fore I graduated 
from the Girls' 
School I was 
urged to join the 
Young W o m- 
y. w. c. a. summer CONFERENCE e n's Christian 

Association of the School. It is composed of all the Chris- 
tian girls, and I said: "Oh! why do you ask me to join? 
Am I a Christian?" Although I had never told anyone, 
I really was trying to be a Christian. The girls said: 
"You can keep it a secret no longer. We can tell by your 
life you are of the Jesus Religion." So I openly confessed 
Jesus, joining both the church and the Association. One 
day, in a meeting, our leader told us the great need for 
Bible- women — women who could go in the neglected homes 
and carry the message of light. She reminded us that only 
women could enter our Japanese houses, that our men were 
giving their time as teachers and evangelists, and doing 
much good, but the call for consecrated women was great. 



AT WORSHIP 53 



I felt something tugging at my heart, and urging me 
to say, "Oh! send me, I'll go," but then I remembered my 
mother and father, and how disappointed they would be to 
even know I had decided to follow the "Jesus Way." 

I knew they expected me to marry a young man already 
selected, and he was not a Christian, so I held my peace and 
permitted the chance to pass ; but oh ! I did want to respond 
to that call. Time passed and at length the day of gradua- 
tion came. 

We had a week of celebration, as you do in America. 
My parents were so proud of me. I told them I was a 
Christian, and they laughed and said I'd soon forget that, 
when I left school and was home with them planning for 
my wedding. 

The graduation day was over at last, and I was about 
to leave. As I said good-bye, one of our teachers put her 
arms about me and said: "O Fuji San, I did wish you might 
continue your studies in our Bible department and become 
a much-needed Bible-woman." 

Life at home was not as pleasant as at school. I missed 
the teachers and the girls, too. My parents refused to take 
my changed religious beliefs seriously. It was hard to be a 
Christian, and finally my parents treated me harshly. I tried 



54 



MISS WISTARIA 



to bear it all as Jesus would have me do. 
The young man selected for me to marry 
did not want to marry a Christian, so my 
parents felt disgraced, and I determined 
to go to my teachers and tell them my 
distress. 

They received me gladly, and offered 
to have me come back to them and take 
up the Bible-study, with a view of becom- 
ing a Bible-woman; and this time when 
my heart urged me to say: "Yes," I was 
at liberty to go. 

Two years of training followed. 

During that time I taught in Sunday 

School and made some visits; at last I 

bible-woman wa s graduated, and as a Bible-woman 

was given the privilege of teaching this message to women, 

as well as children. 




CHAPTER VI 

MY WORK AS A BIBLE-WOMAN 

My first work was in the Miyagi district, round about 
Sendai. Going from house to house and talking about the 
Bible was very different from teaching in Sunday School. 
I went first to the parents of our scholars and was received 
very well, after that I planned to call on a few strangers 
each day. 

My duties were varied. On Sunday, besides teaching, 
I played the organ and led the singing. Then I gave every 
one a word of welcome, taking special care to see that I 
secured names and addresses of any strangers present, so 
I could call on them during the week. During the week I 
called on all our absent Sunday School scholars, held a 
mother's meeting, attended the Ladies' Aid meeting and 
planned for any social times. 

We do not have many social times in our churches in 
Japan. Our men and women are not in the habit of ming- 
ling together in public, so only occasionally we gather to- 
gether and have an informal program. Our meetings are 

55 



56 MISS WISTARIA 

opened with prayer and singing, some children sing or recite 
or go through some exercises, and refreshments are served. 

In the homes, the Bible-women try to render any needed 
sendee, like your deaconesses will render in America. In case 
of illness, the Bible-woman will perform, in part, the duties 
of nurse, thus gaining the love and confidence of the parents. 
At first the people did not seem very anxious to have me 
call, but by repeated visits and little acts of kindness, the 
wall of opposition was broken down, and they frequently 
asked me: "Why do you do all these things instead of think- 
ing about your own pleasure?" Then we can tell them of 
Jesus and what He has done for us, and how our love to 
Him compels us to do deeds of kindness to others. We can 
tell them how Jesus and His love changed our lives, and 
made us happy, and how much we want them to learn the 
"Jesus Way." Sometimes it is hard to get permission to 
read the Bible, but they all love to hear us sing. So I sing 
the gospel first, and then tell them the message of my song, 
and finally I am permitted to read this same message from 
my Bible. 

I ask them to think it over until I call again, and on the 
next call you may be sure they have talked it over at home, 
and with their neighbors, and are ready with lots of questions. 



MY WORK AS A BIBLE-WOMAN 57 

Thus we sow the seed and God is not slow in giving us the 
increase. If my home visits are well received, I urge them 
to attend preaching services. 

Our services are held in our chapels and in preaching 
stations. Our chapels are like your own, but our preaching 
stations are vacant storerooms, in different towns and vil- 
lages to which the evangelist goes with a organ, picture 
rolls and tracts. The meetings are announced in advance, 
and special invitations sent to some leading men. The meet- 
ing is opened with singing and cornet playing, which helps 
to attract attention. The crowd gathers and they are invited 
into the room to discuss some phase of the new religion. 
Many enter, but gradually those not interested drift away, 
and the truth seekers remain, often coming again and again. 
They are then directed to our nearest church and Sunday 
School. 

Did you ever go to a Sunday School out of doors? One 
time my Sunday School met under a big tree. We had 
noticed a village not far away that needed Christian teaching 
and I was sent out to gather the children together. With 
two student friends, I went forth; it was my first attempt 
and oh! my heart did thump. I wondered if I would be able 
to say the right thing! 



58 



MISS WISTARIA 




MY WORK AS A BIBLE-WOMAN 59 

My companions, O Ham San (Miss Spring) and O 
Hana San (Miss Flower) were nervous, too. I carried my 
Bible ; O Hana San carried a long picture roll, like you use 
in your primary department, in fact, it might have been the 
very one from your church, for some mission band sent it to 
the school. When you learn how we use them, I know every 
band and Sunday School will want to send us their old rolls. 

Ham San carried the hymn-book, she had several little 
songs caged up in her throat, but she wondered if she would 
be able to let them out at the right time. On we walked until 
we saw a group of children, under a big tree, and we decided 
there was our Sunday School. 

I called to them and said O Ham San would sing to 
them; some waited, some laughed and some said, "Oh! don't 
go, maybe it is some of the Jesus people, and grandmother 
said I must never listen to them." But curiosity was 
stronger than grandmother's teaching, and as the singing 
continued, the children came nearer and nearer. I told them 

1 would read a little story from my book and it was a true 
story, too. I read the story of "Jesus blessing little chil- 
dren," and O Hana San opened the bright roll and there 
was the picture of the very story I had read, that wonderful 
picture of Jesus with the child on His knees, and all the 
mothers pressing near Him for a blessing for their babies. 



60 MISS WISTARIA 



The children were delighted and asked many questions. 
I told them my book was full of such stories and if they 
would come next Sunday to the tree I'd tell another story 
and show more pictures. They all promised to come and the 
following Sunday quite a crowd were awaiting us. This 
day our story was about the "Lost Sheep," and our picture 
"Christ, the Good Shepherd." How they did listen and how 
glad they were when I told them the Good Shepherd never 
rested until he found the lost sheep. Our little school thus 
started, continued until one rainy Sunday made it impossible 
for the children to come. 

We trudged on to our tree and found only a few of our 
little Sunday School, but we found a mother of one of the 
girls present, and she said she came to tell us she thought all 
the things we told the children were good, and as we could 
not teach out under the tree much longer, we could come 
into her home. Oh, how glad we were to accept her kind 
invitation. 

It was just what we had been praying for. Our school 
grew during that winter, and early in the spring we rented 
a large empty room. We now had a preaching service and 
the older people came and wanted a church. So they began 
selling eggs and giving their money for the building fund. 



MY WORK AS A BIBLE-WOMAN 61 

I think our friends in the United States will help them, and 
soon we will have a chapel large enough to seat all who want 
to come. 

Another Bible-woman, O Hisa San, told me she gets 
up at half -past three every Sunday to get to her Sunday 
School. She crosses a river in a steamboat and leaving the 
steamboat, crosses another river in a sail-boat, and teaches 
her Sunday School, of nearly two hundred children alone. 
In winter, when the river is frozen, she has to cross the ice. 
Her prayer is for a helper in her work. These Bible-women 
have so many claims on their time. 

One day one of our Bible-women had a woman come to 
her dragging a little child; of course she took her to the 
Missionary. The child was an ugly little girl, covered with 
sores and bruises. 

The mother said the sores were from having her pierced 
to let out the evil spirits. She gave the girl to the Mission- 
ary, saying: "I hate her and can do nothing for her, so I give 
her to you." The Missionary, after a few questions, learned 
she really belonged to this woman, but the woman had an- 
other beautiful girl and did not want her; in fact she never 
had wanted her, she wanted a son. Our Missionary took 
the little girl and surely she did seem to have an evil spirit. 



62 MISS WISTARIA 

She would never answer us a word and would hardly per- 
mit us to touch her, but we tried to bathe the poor body and 
heal the bruises made by the cruel piercing needle. For sev- 
eral days there seemed to be no response, but finally love won 
the battle, and our little girl wanted to know what made us 
treat her so kindly when she had been so ugly. 

We told her we loved her, and felt so sorry for her, but, 
poor thing, she had never known love and could hardly 
understand us, but the day came when she, too, wanted to 
learn about that love. She tried hard to please her teachers 
and new friends. 

She became an earnest Christian and was the means 
of bringing her own mother and father to Christ by her 
changed life. 

Her family were reunited and lived happily together as 
Christians. 

This is a mere glimpse into my life as a Bible-woman. 
It is a hard but joyous life. Ofttimes we are lonely, as the 
Japanese do not look with kindness on young women who 
travel alone and do not get married early, so a large number 
would not permit their daughters to associate with us. We 
must learn to bear this with such gentleness and tact that 
we may win even our enemies to the "Jesus Way." 



MY WORK AS A BIBLE-WOMAN 63 

I had been working in the Miyagi district for several 
years when the call came from the Yamagata district for 
trained workers. 

The harvest there was ripe, but the reapers few. Some 
missionaries like John the Baptist of old had been fore- 
runners of this gospel, but little harvesting had been done. 

I was asked to assist the Missionary at Yamagata. Sev- 
eral preaching stations had been opened, and some Japanese 
preachers were at work, but the need for work among the 
children was great. With mingled joy and regret I re- 
sponded to the call. I was proud to be trusted with work 
in this new field, but I had learned to love the women on 
whom I called, and I loved our Sunday School and church 
at Sendai. 

My trip to Yamagata by rail was my first ride on a 
train. I had never been so far from home, so it was really 
an event to me. The 104 miles were covered in eight hours, 
and I was safely housed with our Missionary. 

During the next few days he told me of his travels 
through this district, of the response the people gave and of 
how few laborers were available to care for this particular 
field. I, then and there, consecrated myself anew to the 
work in this district. 



64 



MISS WISTARIA 




The Missionary told me that 
on his last tour, with the help of 
a Japanese preacher, they had 
addressed ten thousand people 
and distributed over fifteen thou- 
sand tracts, and as a result two 
hundred persons were seeking to 
know more of this "Jesus Way.'' 

The children in our neighbor- 
hood soon learned to know me 
and we had good times together. 

The little church grew and the 
Sunday School was my delight. 

Two little girls from the home 
of a high official came to the 

t school. I noticed they showed 

j| interest and learned rapidly. 

One day one of them whispered, 
"Do you know I am a Christian, 
too ? I say 'Now I lay me down 
playixg with her doll to sleep' every night, and I never 
drink even when my father wants me to." 

Dear little girl! She was a Christian, for she had 



MY WORK AS A BIBLE-WOMAN 65 

learned to trust herself to the care of Jesus. Another little 
girl, when asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, 
responded: "An American principal of a Jesus orphanage." 
Of course she could never be that, could she? 

But she had been watching the Missionary closely, and 
she wanted to be just like her and be able to do the same 
helpful things. One of the boys said: "You teachers have 
taught us to love one another, while before we were selfish, 
and did not care how others got along." 

The winters in Yamagata were hard ones. The heavy 
snows made travel very hard ; yet this is our very best time 
for visiting, especially in the country. As the snow keeps 
the people indoors they welcome a caller. The Missionary 
and his helper often go through snow up to their waists; 
sometimes they lose the path and spend much valuable time 
finding the way out. 

Would you like to know how our Sunday School looks 
while in session? A number of girls and boys crowd in. 
The girls carry babies on their backs and frequently need 
to jump up and down or sway from side to side to amuse 
the crying babies. The boys like to bring balls and amuse 
themselves by keeping two or three in the air at one time 
while we are talking, and in a new village some of the chil- 



66 MISS WISTARIA 

dren on the outside annoy us by yelling in the doors or 
stoning the outside of the building. This only happens 
when our schools are first opened and are new to them. 

It is hard to talk under these conditions, so we have lots 
of singing. Everyone loves to sing, and they all sing as 
loudly and quickly as they can. 

One time one of your ministers was here on a visit, and 
he was asked to play the organ for Sunday school. He 
started your song, "Bringing In the Sheaves," but soon the 
children were far ahead of him, singing four verses without 
stopping. He had all he could do to keep up to them. At 
the close the Missionary said: "Say! did you lead the music?" 
The visitor replied: "Oh, dear, no! I was only too glad to 
be able to follow." These little things would be funny to 
you, but when we see Sunday after Sunday the same chil- 
dren come again and again, and each time listen more in- 
tently to the stories, and learn to love the little songs and 
the pictures, we know it can only lead to one end — the desire 
to learn to do the things that are well pleasing unto God. 



CHAPTER VII 



MY MARRIAGE 



It was in the midst of my work that the most important 
event of my whole life occurred — I met the man who later 
became my husband. I know you Juniors want to hear 
all about it, and it was just a bit romantic. One day I had 
gone to a neighboring village to visit the silk factories and 
speak to the girls. Much of our work is done among these 
girls. They work from five in the morning until ten at 
night, seven days in the week, with less than two hours daily 
for meals, so our visiting is done at the factory, bearing 
the factory I heard someone blowing a horn, and coming to 
the end of the street I saw a motorcycle with a side car. Of 
course it could mean only one thing — a Missionary and his 
helper. The Missionary was blowing the horn and his helper 
giving out tracts until the crowd gathered. When the helper 
handed me a tract I showed him the tracts I had been giving 
the girls in the factory, and soon we were acquainted. The 
Missionary talked and explained a picture roll after lots of 
singing. The meeting being over, we were all invited to an 

67 



68 MISS WISTARIA 

evening meeting to be held in an empty storeroom. 

I attended the evening meeting and was delighted to 
find the Japanese helper had been trained in North Japan 
College at Sendai. Can you imagine how we enjoyed talk- 
ing about Sendai and our dear old schooldays? Ichiro San 
(for that was his name) told me of his struggle to be a 
Christian; how his people cast him out when he joined the 
church, and not knowing where to go he applied at the In- 
dustrial Home of the Reformed Church in Sendai. Here 
he was given a chance to learn printing, and by working at 
his trade half-time and going to school the rest of the time 
he had acquired an education. Before graduating from col- 
lege he had made up his mind to preach the gospel. Finan- 
cial aid was sent him by one of the churches in the United 
States, so he was able to take the theological course. He 
told me he had just lately come to this district. 

The evening service passed all too quickly for me, and 
after it closed I met Ichiro San again. 

Ichiro San and I soon became the best of friends, as 
we planned our work together and taught in the same Sun- 
day Schools. The time passed pleasantly, and soon Ichiro 
was assigned to a church in a village some distance away. 

I knew I would miss him greatly, and somehow I felt 



MY MARRIAGE 69 

he would miss me, too. At last the night came to say "Good- 
bye," and then I learned he had never meant to say a real 
good-bye. He told me he always meant to have me go 
to the new church with him as his wife. I felt I was not 
good enough to be a preacher's wife, but I knew I had 
learned to love him dearly and would try, oh! so earnestly, 
to help him in the work we both loved. 

Our parents kindly made the necessary arrangements, 
according to our custom, and Ichiro left me with the under- 
standing he would return soon to marry me. My first greet- 
ing from Ichiro after his departure was the gift of a dress, 
and it made me so happy. 

I suppose you think that was a queer present coming 
from my fiance, don't you? Well, to me it was a most wel- 
come one, for in our country it is quite the customary en- 
gagement gift. Every man sends a dress or at least an "obi" 
(sash) as soon as the engagement is announced, and we look 
forward to it as you look forward to a ring. In return I 
sent him some violets, my favorite flowers, with a sprig of 
evergreen, and he knew it meant my love for him would be 
unchanging. 

We were married in the home of the Missionary at 
Yamagata. It was a quiet little wedding, so different from 



70 MISS WISTARIA 

many of our weddings in Japan. I could not help feeling 
glad I was a Christian, and thus permitted to choose my own 
husband. Think of it! Many of my friends, during their 
school years, are called home suddenly to marry one whom 
they have never seen. 

Every father feels it his duty to select a husband for his 
daughter when she is of suitable age. A friend acts as go- 
between and tries to bring the father a suitable man, and if 
the father accepts him the affair is settled, after the go- 
between receives a gift for the service rendered. 

The girl has nothing to do but smile and submit, and 
sometimes it turns out very pleasantly, but just as often it 
means unhappiness for the girl. Especially is this true 
when a Christian girl is forced to marry a man of another 
religion, for the man is always head of the family and must 
be obeyed. 

Our new home was about 100 miles from Yamagata, 
in the Wakamatsu district, a new district giving much spirit- 
ual promise. With great joy we took up our new work and 
Ichiro made regular trips into the surrounding country, be- 
cause most of our members were of the farming class. The 
snows, like in the Yamagata district, made our winter work 
very hard. In many places it is from six to ten feet deep 



MY MARRIAGE 71 

and it does not melt for many months. In the spring we 
organized a Ladies' Aid Society, and these poor women 
would bring a few eggs or a chicken and I would sell them 
and add to our little building fund, for by faith we could 
see the time was not far distant when our little room could 
not hold all who would come. During the spring our hopes 
were realized, and some of our Sunday School classes were 
held in the open air during the summer. When autumn 
came we called a meeting to see what could be done. It was 
on prayer-meeting night, and our attendance was unusually 
small. Only seven were present, and these felt very much 
depressed. Only one month before we had agreed to buy 
at a bargain a lot of ground in the center of town, an ideal 
location. There were two old houses on the lot, and we had 
planned to roll them together and remodel them for a Sun- 
day School, but as is always the case in such an enterprise, 
the cost was going beyond our first estimate. 

We were especially discouraged to hear that one hun- 
dred and fifty feet of foundation stone, costing twenty dol- 
lars in American money, would be needed. To you and 
your church this would not seem a large sum, but to the 
seven gathered for prayer it seemed impossible. 

The stone-mason had explained the extra charge was due 



72 MISS WISTARIA 

to the fact that the quarry where our building stone would 
be secured had a very large block of stone high up, which 
would need to be removed before it was safe to take out any 
more stone. In our need we prayed very earnestly, and 
while we prayed the place was shaken by a single, violent 
earthquake jar. The next morning our stone-mason came 
with a new estimate. It would cost only half as much, be- 
cause the earthquake jar had thrown down the great block 
and split it into the right-sized pieces to be used for their 
purposes. Some people called this "luck," but we called it 
a "miracle" in answer to our prayer. 

The story of the miracle was told far and near, and 
many came to see this little church when it was finished. It 
was a joyous day when the Missionary from Wakamatsu 
came to dedicate our building to the service of Jesus. 

Soon after the dedication our province had a fair, and 
the Christians decided to put up a rest booth. While the 
people rested we held services which met with great success. 
An evangelist was secured and the services continued even 
when the fair closed. All the Christian churches received 
converts, and we received our share, too. 

A year had passed and Ichiro and I decided to spend 
our first wedding anniversary in Yamagata. The day, a 



MY MARRIAGE 73 

bright clear one, just the kind you would select for a holiday, 
arrived and we started joyously on our trip. We recalled 
our first trip and many incidents of our meetings in Yama- 
gata, as well as the trips to the villages through which we 
were passing. Arriving in Yamagata, we were warmly 
received by the Missionary and his wife, who wanted to hear 
all about our work. In turn they told us of their own work, 
and especially of the very new kindergarten, and promised 
I should see it the next day. 

I wish I could picture to you that kindergarten, so you 
would enjoy it as much as I did. Think of a large plain 
room with lots of wooden shoes in a box at the door. Then, 
as you open the door, imagine about twenty-five or thirty 
little tots with glossy black hair and shining black eyes all 
togged out in gay little kimonos, all squatting on the floor, 
forming a group around the teacher, as she told them the 
story of the "White Hare of Inaba." You know the story, 
don't you? How the hare used the boasting crocodiles as 
a bridge, so she could leave her island home, and how she 
was punished for her trick? If you never heard the story, 
read all about it in Ozaki's "Japanese Fairy Tales." 

We watched the children make a picture of some chrys- 
anthemums. The Missionary's wife taught them a little 



74 



MISS WISTARIA 




v 



MY MARRIAGE 75 

song about how the mill wheel goes around and grinds the 
wheat and gives us nice flour for bread. Then they all 
played band, each child representing a musical instrument, 
and it was lots of fun as well as exercise to keep time to 
the music: 

After a march around the room they all took their places 
in the circle, and were permitted to choose their games. 

One wanted to play "Little Seeds." It was interesting 
to see the little seeds all asleep in the ground until two chil- 
dren, chosen to represent sun and rain, touched the seeds 
into life. Slowly the little seeds lifted their heads and grew 
into lovely flowers. Children representing bees sipped the 
sweet honey from the blossoms, flying around with a sweet 
buzzing sound. Thus the story of the whole plant life was 
told. 

The little faces were full of joy and gladness, and, oh! 
I did wish we could have a kindergarten in connection with 
each of our preaching stations. 

No work reaches the heart of a parent so quickly as 
an interest in their little children. 

Our holiday was over and on our return trip I told 
Ichiro how much I wished our church could have a kinder- 
garten. My husband told me the Reformed Church main- 



76 MISS WISTARIA 

tained four kindergartens in Japan, and that all the Juniors 
in the churches in the United States were raising money for 
more kindergartens. So I am encouraged to think that soon 
we, too, will have one for our children. 

This little story of my life is almost finished. I have 
only one more experience to tell you about. I want to tell 
you about the day my dear little daughter was first laid in 
my arms. Footsteps came to our door, just as in the other 
days they came to my father's door, when I was a baby, and 
they asked in the same tones: "Is it a boy?" But at our 
answer, "No, it is a girl!" no one expressed sorrow or regret. 
Many of the friends were Christians, and everyone knew that 
we would be just as proud of our baby girl as we could have 
been of a boy. Thirty-three days had passed and instead 
of presenting our daughter to the gods in the temple, we 
wended our way to our little church and in the simple rite 
of baptism we presented our baby daughter to the God and 
Father of us all. O Haru San (Miss Spring), as we call 
our baby, is growing larger and stronger, and when we look 
at her we long more and more for a kindergarten. 

I have told this little story that the Juniors may 
know the work the Reformed Church is doing in far-away 
Japan. 



MY MARRIAGE 



77 





A'Kis'.: : 






You take us as children 
in the kindergarten and 
lead us every step of our 
Christian life, and when I 
think of how much my 
husband and I owe to you 
and your churches I am 
only sorry we cannot do 
even more in giving the 
same privileges to others. 

There are never enough 
buildings and mission- 
aries. One of your mis- 
sionaries said: "We could 
secure one million chil- 
new baby dren for the Christian 

Sunday Schools in one month, had we the rooms and 
teachers to care for them." 

Accept our gratitude for what you have already done, 
and think of our great needs, and continue to help us to 
carry this gospel of light to those who yet sit in darkness. 



GLOSSARY 

Ani san (ah-nee san), elder brother. 

Buddhism (boodhism), religion of Buddha, who taught in India 2400 

years ago. 
Confucianism, doctrine of Kongfutse, who taught in China 2400 years 

ago. 
Fudo (foo-doh), a god who is worshipped as a healer. 
Fuji (foo-jee), name of a beautiful mountain. 
Foji san, Fuj i-no-yama, Mount Fuji. 
Gem-pei (gem-pay), a boy's game. 
Hachiman (hah-chee-man), god of war. 
Hana (hah-nah), flower. 
Haru (hah-roo), spring. 

Hirose (hee-roh-say), broad shallows; name of a river. 
Hisa (hee-sah), old, ancient. 

Izanagi (ee-zah-nah-ghee), a god who created Japan. 
Izanami (eefzah-nah-mee), sister and wife of Izanagi. 
Ichiro (ee-chee-roh), first boy; name of a boy. 
Inaba (ee-nah-bah), rice ground; name of a place. 
Jinrikisha, man-power wheel; a carriage pulled by a man. 
Jizo (jee-zoh), a god who helps children after death. 
Jogakko, a girls' school. 
Kamidana (kah-mee-dah-nah), a god shelf; a place in the house where 

idols are kept. 
Kiri (kee-ree), a tree, or its wood; the paulownia. 
Kyushu (kee-oo-shoo), nine countries; name of a large southern island 

in Japan. 
Matsushima (mah-tsoo-shee-mah), pine islands; a beautiful island 

near Sendai. 
Mikado (mee-kah-doh), august gate; palace; the Emperor. 
Miyagi (mee-yah-ghee), shrine castle; name of the plain in which 

Sendai stands. 
Mura (moo-rah), a village; a country district. 

79 



80 MISS WISTARIA 



Nei-san (nay-san), elder sister. 

Nibancho (nee-ban-cho), two number street; Second Street. 

Nippon, the same as Nihon ; sunrise ; Japan. 

Nobori (noh-boh-ree), a banner; a long piece of cloth fastened to a 

pole. 
O (oh), honorable. 

O ba san (oh-bah-san), old lady; grandmother. 
O hayo (like Ohio), honorable earliness; good morning. 
6 ji san (oh-jee-san), uncle. 
O ka san (oh-kah-san), mother. 
O totsu san (oh-totts-san), father. 
6bi (oh-bee), sash; girdle. 

Oshikawa (oh-shee-kah-wah), push river; a family name. 
Ozaki (oh-zah-kee), little slope; a family name. 
Sakura (sah-koo-rah), cherry. 
San, added to a name means Mr., Mrs. or Miss. 
Sendai (sen-die), hermit's terrace; name of a city. 
Shikoku (shee-koh-koo), four provinces; name of an island. 
Shinto, god way; the native religion of Japan. 
Shiogama (shee-oh-gah-mah), salt cauldron; a port near Sendai. 
Tanabata (tah-nah-bah-tah), name of a summer festival. 
Toko (toh-koh), a bed; comforter laid on the floor. 
Torii (toh-ree), the portal to a shrine. 
Waga Shu Yesu (wah-gah shoo yay-soo), my Lord Jesus. 
Wakamatsu (wah-kah-mah-tsoo), young pines; name of a city. 
Yamagata (yah-mah-gah-tah), mountain shape; name of a city. 
Yezo (yay-zoh), barbarian, name of the northern island, Hokkaido. 
Yokohama (yoh-koh-hah-mah), transverse beach; name of the port 

near Tokyo. 
Yoshida (yoh-shee-dah), good rice fields; a family name. 
Yuki (you-kee), snow. 



